The present invention relates to the field of surgery and, in particular, to a bunion repair method.
Bunions can be associated with a deviation in the angle between the first and second metatarsal bones of the foot.
A bunion repair is a surgical procedure performed on the first toe joint. The purpose is to correct a deformity of the toe or to remove a painful bunion at its base. Surgical procedures may include removing the abnormal bony enlargement of the first metatarsal, realigning the first metatarsal relative to the adjacent metatarsal, straightening the toe relative to the first metatarsal and adjacent toes, or correcting any abnormal misalignment within the first toe.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,875,058 describes a surgical procedure that involves making an incision into the skin and carefully working down to the great toe joint and bone. The first metatarsal is typically cut with a bone saw and corrections are made. These corrections are kept in place with a first and a second button held together by a suture extending across the first and second metatarsal.
The method described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,875,058 includes inserting a guide wire, and using a cannulated drill bit, drilling a hole across the first metatarsal and through the second metatarsal. A pull-through needle with a pull-through suture strand is passed through the hole to a medial of the first metatarsal and stopped before a first button enters the hole. The pull-through suture strand is pulled such that the first button lies sideways for passage through the hole. The first button of the construct is advanced through the hole until it exits the hole through the first metatarsal on the medial side of the first metatarsal cortex. Upon exiting the hole, the first button is flipped and a lateral tension is applied on the first suture strand to seat the first button against the first metatarsal. The pull-through suture is then cut and removed and the first button is anchored. Subsequently, the free ends of the first suture strand are pulled to advance the second button of the construct to seat the second button against the second metatarsal.
The present inventor has recognized that it would be advantageous to minimize the incisions necessary to undergo the procedure of stabilizing the first metatarsal against the second metatarsal. The present inventor has recognized that it would be advantageous to improve the prior art techniques to reduce the chance of a stress fracture of the first or second metatarsal.